Whirlpool service life monitor

ABSTRACT

A disinfection device for a whirlpool tub that indicates the amount of remaining useful life of the device. The device includes two exposed electrical contacts arranged at a selected water level of the whirlpool tub. When the tub is filled and the water level in the tub is high enough to touch the exposed contacts, the water closes the electrical circuit formed by the contacts. The circuit monitors the number of times that the tub has been filled and checks it against a predetermined fill count. When the tub has been filed a selected number of times, the circuit indicates that the disinfection device needs to be replaced.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to monitoring operation of a whirlpool component, and more particularly to a monitor for checking a service life of the whirlpool component.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Whirlpool bathtubs may incorporate disinfection devices to provide desired levels of disinfectant within the water circulating through the tub. The disinfection device has a finite useful life and needs to be replaced periodically to maintain appropriate disinfectant levels in the tub water. However, because the tub tends to be used relatively infrequently (e.g., as compared with a shower), it is often difficult to remember when the disinfection device was installed, how many times the device has been used, and how much useful life is left in the device. Following a strict schedule for replacing the device will ensure that the device is always in optimum operation, but if the tub is filled infrequently, adherence to a strict replacement schedule often results in replacement of the device even when it has a great deal of remaining useful life. Thus, the lack of an accurate way to monitor the useful life of the device often results in replacement schedules that are either too frequent (resulting in undesirable expense and waste) or too infrequent (resulting in less then desirable disinfectant levels).

There is a desire for a disinfection device in a whirlpool tub that accurately indicates the remaining useful life of the device based on actual use of the tub rather than any arbitrary replacement schedule.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a disinfection device for a whirlpool tub that indicates the amount of remaining useful life of the device. The disinfection device is installed within a suction housing of a tub. When the tub is filled, water enters the disinfectant device and disperses disinfectant through the tub.

The device includes two exposed electrical contacts arranged at a selected water level of the whirlpool tub. When the tub is filled and the water level in the tub is high enough to touch the exposed contacts, the water closes the electrical circuit formed by the contacts. A counter in the device monitors the length of time the circuit is closed and indicates that the tub is filled if the circuit remains closed past a selected time threshold.

The circuit monitors the number of times that the tub has been filled and checks it against a predetermined fill count. When the tub has been filled a selected number of times, the circuit indicates that the disinfection device needs to be replaced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The various features and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the currently preferred embodiment. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a disinfecting device for a whirlpool tub including a monitoring circuit according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the example disinfecting device incorporating the monitoring circuit of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the disinfecting device incorporating the monitoring circuit of this invention;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example monitoring circuit according to this invention; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of another example disinfecting device according to this invention

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a disinfection device 100 is shown installed over a suction inlet 117 of a whirlpool tub 115. Although the examples below assumes that the disinfection device 100 is a bromine disinfection device, the general principles of the invention can be applied to any other disinfection device without departing from the scope of the invention. The disinfection device 100 includes a conduit 102 that pulls water from the tub 115 to circulate it through the disinfection device 100 and treat the water. The disinfection device 100 also includes a suction cover 104 with a perforated surface through which water can flow into the suction inlet 117.

An indicator light 110, such as an LED, is visible through the disinfection device 100 and is used to indicate when the disinfecting device needs to be replaced. The indicator light 110 is part of a monitoring circuit 112 attached to a rear portion of the disinfection device 100.

The monitoring circuit 112 includes two exposed conductive electrodes 114 (best shown in FIG. 3). When the disinfection device 100 is installed in the tub, water that flows through the perforated surface of the suction cover 104 will contact the electrodes 114, thereby creating a closed electrical circuit. The disinfection device 100 is placed in the tub at a level where the tub is considered “filled” if the water flowing through the suction cover 104 reaches the electrodes 114. The components of the monitoring circuit 112 are protected by a housing 116.

Referring to FIG. 4, the monitoring circuit 112 includes the indicator light 110, the electrodes 114, and a counter 120 connected to the indicator light 110 and the electrodes 114. In this example, the indicator light 110 includes a green LED 110 a to indicate that there is still useful life in the device 100 and a red LED 110 b to indicate that the device 100 needs to be replaced. When the water level in the tub is high enough to contact the electrodes 114, the closed electrical circuit formed by the water and the two electrodes 114 activates the counter 120. The counter 120 includes a timer 122 that checks whether the water continues to contact the electrodes 114 for a selected time period. Once the selected time period has passed, the counter 120 increments once to indicate that the tub has been filled once.

The counter 120 also includes a comparator 124 to see whether the number of tub fillings has reached a selected threshold. If the number of tub fillings falls below the selected threshold, the counter 120 illuminates the green LED 110 a to indicate that the device 100 still has a remaining useful life. If the number of tub fillings is at the selected threshold, however, the counter 120 illuminates the red LED 110 b to indicate that there is no more useful life in the device 100. In one embodiment, the counter 120 and the controller 124 are implemented using any desired component or combination of components and/or a microprocessor. Moreover, the monitoring circuit 112 may be powered by a internal power source 126, such as a battery, to make the entire device, including the disinfection device 100, the monitoring circuit 112, and the suction cover 104 along with the bromine itself (not shown) a self-contained, disposable device. This makes replacement easy, efficient, and inexpensive.

Referring to FIG. 5, another example disinfecting device 140 includes a transponder 128 that emits a signal responsive to energization from a coil 132. The signal from the transponder 128 is received by a controller 132. The controller 132 communicates the number count of tub fills to a control panel 134 that is disposed remotely from the disinfecting device 140. The control panel 134 includes a first indicator light 136 and a second indicator light 138. The indicator lights 136 and 138 provide a visual indication of the status of the disinfecting device 140.

In operation, each time the tub is filed, the circuit between the contact electrodes 114 is completed. Each time the circuit is completed, the monitoring circuit 112 registers and records that fill. The number of fills is recorded and registered in the monitoring circuit 112 where the count remains until it is desired to check the state of the disinfecting device 140.

A transponder 128 is in communication with the monitoring circuit and is actuated in response to a magnetic field produced by a coil 130. The coil 130 is fixed within the passage in which the disinfecting device 140 is located and in a substantially close proximity to the transponder 128. The coil 130 is energized and controlled by a controller 132. Energizing the coil 130 generates a magnetic field that in turn activates the transponder 128. The now energized transponder 128 transmits information to indicative of the number of fills to the controller 132. The interval between energization of the transponder 128 and thereby communication of the fill count to the controller is determined to provide an continuous update of the fill count to the controller. Such interval maybe daily, hourly or weekly depending on the configuration and desired monitoring routine. Further, the controller 132 may be actuated manually to allow for a current updating of the state and condition of the disinfecting device 140.

After a desired number of fills the controller 132 will activate one of the indicator lights 136, 138 to signal the need for replacing the disinfecting device 140. The use of the transponder 128 provides for indicator and status lights and other signaling devices to be mounted separately from the disinfecting device 140. The inclusion of the transponder 128 provides for the disinfecting device 140 to be installed with only a minimal power source as required to power the monitoring circuit 112.

By monitoring the actual number of tub fillings and basing the remaining useful life of the disinfecting device 100, 140 on actual tub usage rather than a replacement schedule that does not take actual usage into account, the invention ensures that the disinfecting device is used optimally and replaced precisely when needed.

It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention. It is intended that the following claims define the scope of the invention and that the method and apparatus within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby. 

1. A monitoring circuit for a disinfection device, comprising: a pair of electrical contacts, wherein water touches the electrical contacts to close an electrical circuit when the water reaches a predetermined level; a counter that increments a fill count when the electrical circuit is closed; and an indicator that indicates whether the fill count is below a selected threshold.
 2. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the counter includes a timer that monitors a length of time that the electrical circuit is closed, wherein the counter increments the fill count when the timer indicates that the electrical circuit has been closed for a predetermined time period.
 3. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the counter includes a comparator that compares the fill count with the selected threshold and actuates the indicator based on whether the fill count is below or at the selected threshold.
 4. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the indicator is at least one indicator light.
 5. The circuit of claim 4, wherein the counter illuminates said at least one indicator light when the fill count is below the selected threshold.
 6. The circuit of claim 4, wherein said at least one indicator light comprises a first indicator light and a second indicator light, wherein the counter illuminates the first indicator light when the fill count is below the selected threshold and wherein the counter illuminates the second indicator light when the fill count is at the selected threshold.
 7. The circuit of claim 6, wherein the first and second indicator lights are different colors.
 8. A disinfection device for a whirlpool tub, comprising: a suction cover having a perforated surface; a disinfecting material; a conduit that guides water through the perforated surface to the disinfecting material; and a monitoring circuit having a pair of electrical contacts, wherein water touches the electrical contacts to close an electrical circuit when the water reaches a predetermined level, a counter that increments a fill count when the electrical circuit is closed, and at least one indicator light that indicates whether the fill count is below a selected threshold.
 9. The device of claim 8, wherein the counter includes a timer that monitors a length of time that the electrical circuit is closed, wherein the counter increments the fill count when the timer indicates that the electrical circuit has been closed for a predetermined time period.
 10. The device of claim 8, wherein the counter includes a comparator that compares the fill count with the selected threshold and actuates the indicator based on whether the file count is below or at the selected threshold.
 11. The device of claim 8, wherein said at least one indicator light comprises a first indicator light and a second indicator light, wherein the counter illuminates the first indicator light when the fill count is below the selected threshold and wherein the counter illuminates the second indicator light when the fill count is at the selected threshold.
 12. The device of claim 11, wherein the first and second indicator lights are different colors.
 13. The device of claim 8, wherein the suction cover, disinfecting material, conduit, and monitoring circuit are integrated together into a self-contained device.
 14. The device of claim 13, further comprising a power source that powers the monitoring circuit.
 15. A disinfection device comprising: a pair of electrical contacts, wherein water touches the electrical contacts to close an electrical circuit when the water reaches a predetermined level; a counter that increments a fill count when the electrical circuit is closed; and a transponder for emitting a single indicative of the fill count to an external controller responsive to receipt of an actuation signal.
 16. The device as recited in claim 15, wherein the counter includes a timer that monitors a length of time that the electrical circuit is closed, wherein the counter increments the fill count when the timer indicates that the electrical circuit has been closed for a predetermined time period.
 17. The device as recited in claim 15, including a coil assembly mounted proximate to the transponder for generating the actuation signal.
 18. The device as recited in claim 15 wherein the external controller actuates an indicating device responsive to fill count communicated by the transponder.
 19. The device as recited in claim 15, wherein the actuation signal is produced at predetermined intervals for communicating the fill count to the controller. 